Information-cabinet.



A. T. LEWIS.

INFORMATION CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20. 1915.

1 1 99, 1 95 Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

4 SHEETS SHEET I.

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nu: mmms PEYERS ca. PHOXU-LIINQ. WASHINGTON. n. c.

A. T. LEWIS. INFORMATION CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20. 1915- 1 1 99, 1 95 Q Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

fn J aztaa Atteat.' Awwma zzemzs A. T. LEWIS.

lNFORMATION CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, ms.

. 1 99 1 5, PatentedSet.26,1916. 9 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

7% i N -t:i ;l m 5 h :1 3: g Q g i E x fnz erztov Attestr v a: Alan/WmZ'Zezals A. T. LEWIS.

INFORMATION CABINET.

- APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1915. 1 7 1 99, 1 95 Patented Sept. 26,1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT omuon 'ALPHONSO T. LEWIS, OF STAUNTON, VIRGINIA,ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD T0 WALLACE A. PAYNE AND ONE-THIRD TO HENRYPARRENT, BOTH OF STAUN'TON, VIRGI1 TIA.

INFORMATION-CABINET.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known'that I, ALPHoNso T. LEWIS, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Staunton, county ofAugusta, and State of Virginia, have made and invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Information-Cabinets, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a new and improved form of directory cabinetand it consists in the novel features hereinafter described and claimed.

An object of. the invention is to provide a cabinet especially adaptedto be used for conveniently holding the names of persons arranged ingroups according to their occupations, or vocations, in order that'thesame may be readily consulted to ascertain the address or telephonenumber of any particular person desired. The cabinet is especiallydesigned for the convenient, use

of those employing telephone service al-' though it may be used toadvantage by persons requiring other service. The general theory of thearrangement of the elements of the invention is that the persons to becalled are arranged with their names and addresses in groups accordingto occupations; for instance, the groups may be as follows: Firstdoctors and lawyers in a certain locality may constitute one group,hotels and churches another, theaters still another, real estate agentsstill another, etc. In fact there is no limit to the number of groups inwhich the names and addresses may be classified. The cabinet is providedwith means for automatically presenting to view any particular groupdesired when a certain key, with which the cabinet is 'provided, ispressed and consequently allof the names, or approximately all of them,in the same group may be exposed by the depression of a key which callsfor the exposure of that particular group.

The means for carrying out the foregoing object includes the followinginstrumentalities: The cabinet isin the form of a case of any suitabledesign or pattern, in which are mounted spaced rollers about which istrained a belt having clips or other suitable holding devices in whichare held cards bearing the names and addresses of the persons includedin the classes indicated. Means are provided for actuating the rollerswhereby the belt may be moved about the Specification of Letters Patent.v Patented 26, 1916. Application filed May 20, 1915. 5

Serial No. 29,437.

same and the casing is provided with an opening through which the beltand the cards carried thereby may be observed as theyare brought to viewwithin the said opening. The particular means as shown and hereinafterdescribed for operating the rollers is in the form of a spring motor;however it is to be understood any other form ofmotor, as for instancean electric motor may be employed for accomplishing the desired movementof the rollers. A series of depressible or movable keys are mounted uponthe casing of the cabinet and each one of these keys is adapted tocooperate with mechanism, also'mounted in the cabinet, for projectingstop pins into the path of movement of the means for turning the rollerswhereby the rollers and the belt trained around the same may be broughtto a state of-rest at predetermined intervals or points, thus exposingthrough the opening in the cabinet the desired class or group of names.WVhen one key is depressed it remains in this position until an otherkey is depressed and means is provided for returning the first mentionedkey to a normal position, and the said means is actuated by thedepression of the second mentioned key. This operation of the keys ismaintained throughout the entire series, so that one key is always in adepressed position. The object of this'will be explained hereinafter.

By way of illustration let it be assumed that a person consulting thedirectory cabinet desires the telephone address of a doctor in aparticular locality. This being the case he will consult an index cardattached to the outside of the cabinet which indicates a particular keyto be depressed when the list of doctors names are brought to view. Theperson consulting the cabinet will then depress this key and after thishas been done the parts and features automatically cooperate to bringthe list of doctors names, with their addresses, to view'at'the openingin the casing of the-cabinet. The person consulting the same then has anopportunity to observe the address of the particular doctor desired andmay use this address for telephone or other purpose. These names remainin view at the opening of the casing until another key is operated tobring another class of names to view. By this convenient arrangement itwill be seen that the necessity of using and employing the moreelaborate forms of telephone directories now in vogue is eliminated,inasmuch as a simple andv convenient form for promptly bringing to viewany particular class of names is provided and furthermore the manuallabor of manipulating a directory is reduced to a minimum, for insteadof being compelled to refer to a volume of more or less magnitude toascertain the address of a desired person it is necessary only with thehelp of the cabinet hereinafter described to know the occupation of theperson desired and by depressing the key which indicates or correspondswith this occupation all of the persons in the directory in the sameoccupation are brought to view. Consequently the particular person maybe readily picked out in so far as his address or identification isconcerned, and the manual labor of manipulating a volumeor a complicateddirectory is avoided.

With these objects in view the invention consists in the featureshereinafter described and revealed in the drawings, it being understoodthat changes and variations may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit of the invention. as set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a front elevation of thedirectory cabinet. Fig. 2 is a similar view, with the front wall or sidethereof removed. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view out approximatelyon the line 33 of Fig; 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged detail views offeatures of the invention. Fig. 6 is a detailed sectional View of themotor and adjacent parts for operating and controlling the movement ofthe belt and rollers of the cabinet. Fig. 7 is a detailed sectional viewof portion of the cabinet cut on the line 7'7 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is anenlarged sectional view of part of the cabinet cut on the line 8-8 ofFig. 1. Fig. .9 is a sectional view of parts of the same cut on the line99 of Fig. 8. Fig. 10

'is a sectional view of a portion of the belt used in the cabinet. Fig.11 is an elevation of part of the belt shown in Fig. 10.

The directory includes a casing 1 provided'at its front side with asight opening 2 which may be covered by a glass or any suitabletransparency. A frame 3 is mounted in the casing l and rollers 4t and 5are journaled in the frame 1 at the upper and lower ends respectivelythereof. A belt -6 of any suitable flexible material is trained aroundthev rollers 4 and 5 and the said belt is provided at spaced intervalswith transversely disposed strips or clips 7 preferably of sheet metal.Cards 8 are adapted to be slipped between the belt 6 and the edgeportions of the clips 7 and the said cards may bear the namesandaddresses of individuals. The cards .8 maybe arrangedin appropriateThe disk 10 is carried by the shaft 12 which is operatively connected bymeans of a train of gear wheels 13 with a spring motor 14. A shaft 15 isconnected with the spring of the motor 14 and passestransversely acrossthe frame 3 and projects at an end portion through the side" of thecasing 1 as best shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing. A key orother suitabledevice (not shown) maybe applied to the projecting end portion of theshaft 15 for turning the same to wind up the spring of the motor 14-when this is necessary. Stops 16 are mounted upon the outer side of thedisk 10 and the said stops are located at different distances from thecenter of the disk. The said stops 16 are positioned upon differentradii of the disk 10 and consequently the stops arespaced one from theother.

A bracket 17 is mounted at the side; of the frame 3 and extends acrossthe disk 10. A plate 18 is mounted upon the bracket 17 in positionspaced therefrom and pins 19 are slidably mounted in the bracket 17 andthe plate 18. the pins 19 and springs 21 are interposed between the sideofvthe bracket 17 and the said stops and are under tension with atendency to hold the stops 20 toward the plates 18. Arms 22 extendoutwardly from the plate 18 and carry a shaft 23. Bell crank levers 24are pivoted upon the shaft 23 and one end of the bell crank leversengages the ends of the pins 19.

A bracket 25 is mounted at the inner side of the front of the casing 1and carries a shaft 26. Bell crank levers 27 are pivoted upon the shaft26 and one end of thebell crank levers 27 is operatively connected; withone end of the levers 24 by means of rods 28.

Slides 29 are movably mounted atthe.

front ofthe casing 1 and rods 30 are connected at one end with one ofthe slides 29, and at their other ends each with one of the levers 27..The slides-29 and levers 27 cor respond in number. Each slide 29 isprovided with slots 31 which receive studs 32 fixed with relation to thecasing 1 and the said studs 32 in combination with the slots direct thesliding movement of the said slides and also limit the movement of theslides. Springs 33 are located in the front of the casing 1 and bear atone end against the ends of the slides 29 and are under ten- Stops 20are mounted uponsion with a tendency to hold one end of the slots 30toward the studs 32. The front of the casing 1 is provided with recesses34 across which the slides 29 are normally held under the influence ofthe springs 33. The keys for operating the slides consist of heads 35mounted upon stems 36 which pass through a plate 37 attached to thefront of the casing 1 and which are connected with wedge shaped plates38. Each plate is provided at its inner end with a projecting lip 39 andat its outer end with a laterally disposed lug 40. A flexible member 41is mounted at the inner side of the front of the casing 1 and extendstransversely across the inner ends of the plates 38. An index card 42 ismounted at the front of the casing 1 as best shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawing and may bear legends indicating difierent occupations andvocations with a number adjacent each legend. The heads 35 of the keysalso hear numbers which numbers correspond with the numbers appearingupon the index 42. The groups of cards 8 mounted between the clips 7 areso arranged that the occupations of the individuals whose addressesappear thereon correspond with the occupations or vocations indicated bythe legends upon the index 42. The cards 8 are also arranged so that aparticular group of the said cards are brought to view through theopening 2 when a particular key is operated.

The following 7 is an illustration of the manner in which the directorymay be used: Assuming that the user desires to ascertain the address ofa doctor he consults the index 42 whereon he sees that the number 1appears adjacent the legend indicating doctors. The operator thenpresses in the head 35 of the key bearing the number 1. When the wedgeshaped plate 38 is moved in an inward direction by the depression of thesaid key the slide 29 which engages the said plate 38 is movedlongitudinally against the tension of the spring 33 and the said slide,which normally bears against the lip 39 of the plate, is brought to bearagainst the lug 40 of the plate and the said lug limits the inwardmovement of the plate. When the key is moved in an inward direction itassumes the position as shown at the intermediate portion of Fig. 7 ofthe drawings, and the inner end of the plate 38 engages the intermediateportion of the flexible member 41 and pushes the same in an inwarddirection while the slide 29 is held against the edge of the plate 38 bythe spring 33 and consequently the plate 38 is frictionally held so.

that the key is temporarily retained in a depressed position. As theslide 29 is moved longitudinally by the movement of the wedge shapedplate 38 across the end of the same the rod 30 which is connected withthe said slide swings one of the bell crank levers 27 which in turnthrough the rod 28 attached to the same swings one of the bell cranklevers 24. When the said bell crank lever 24 is swung upon its pivot itmoves the pin 19 which engages the same against the tension of thespring 21 which influences the said pin. Thus the pin'is moved in aninward direction as indicated at the intermediate part of Fig. 6 and theinner end of the pin is projected into the path of movement of one ofthe lugs 16. When the pin 19 is projected into the path of movement ofone of the lugs 16 the motor 14 acting through the train of gear wheels13 turns the shaft 12 and the disk 10 whereby the lug into the path ofmovement of which the pin 19 has been projected is moved in contact withthe said pin. The said lug is held against the said pin under theinfluence of the motor 14 until another pin is moved into the path ofmovement of another lug. Then the disk 10 turns, it moves the belt 11which in turn rotates the pulley 9 and the roller 4 whereby the belt 6is carried across the opening 2 in the casing 1. The cards Sand clips 7are also moved across the opening and the group of cards bearing thenames and addresses of the class of doctors is brought to a state ofrest at the opening 2 and is visible through said opening. Consequentlythe person whois using the directory may readily pick out and ascertainthe address of the particular doctor desired. Now let it be assumed thatwhen the user next consults the directory he desires the address of ahotel. By referring to the index 42 he will see that the number adjacentthe classification of the hotels is 2. He therefore depresses the head35 hearing the number -2 which manipulation of the key operates in amanner as just described to move one of the pins 19 into the path ofmovement of one of the lugs 16. When the second key is operated itsplate 38 bears against the intermediate portion of the flexible member41 and bows the same in an inward direction whereby the plate 38 whichhas previously been operated is pushed in an outward direction and thekey which was previously operated is moved back to itsv normal extendedposition with relation to the front of the casing 1. As the said keymoves in an outward direction the spring 33 of the adjacent slide 39moves the slide longitudinally and into contact with the lip 39 of thesaid plate 38; consequently the bell crank levers 24 and 27 which areconnected with the said slide are turned so that the, bell crank lever24 is moved in a direction away from the pin 19 and the spring 21 whichinfluences the said pin 19 which has been projected into the path ofmovement of one-of the lugs 16, moves the pin so that its inner end isdisposed out of the path of movement of the said lug 16. At the sametime the inner end of another one of the pins 19 is moved in the path ofmovement of another lug l6 and consequently the disk 10 is turned underthe influence of the motor 14 as hereinbefore described, and one of thelugs 16 is brought into contact with the inner end of the pin which hasjust been moved into the path of movement of the said lug. At the heldin this condition until another key is depressed when the first key tobe depressed is returned to its normal position by the flexible member41, and the key last depressed remains in that position until the nexttime the directory is used. Therefore it may be seen that the names arebrought to view through. the opening of the casing by the action of themotor and that a key operated mechanism is provided for controlling theoperation of the motor to cause the same to bring to View a desiredgroup of names through the opening of the casing and that the partscooperate with each other to return the keys to normal position duringthe successive operation orema-nipulation of the keys.

Having described the invention what is claimed is l. A directorycomprising a casing provided with an opening, rollers journaled in thecasing, a belt trained about the rollers, means carried by the belt forsupporting names and addresses, a disk journaled in the casing andoperatively connected with one of the rollers, stops mounted upon thedisk at varying distances from the center there- Copies of this patentmay be obtained for five cents each, by. addressing the "Commissioner ofPatents,

of, pins located in. the casing and adapted tobe projected into thepaths of movement of the stops and keyoperated means for projecting thesaid pins.

2. A directory comprising a casing-provided with an opening, means forpresenting names and addresses to view through the opening, a disklocated in the casing for. ac-' tuating said means and provided withstops 7 located at varying distances from the center 1 of the disk,spring pressed pins adapted to be projected into the paths of movementof the stops, keys movably mounted in the cas ing and means operativelyconnecting the keys with said pins.

3. A directory comprising a casing pro-.

vided with an opening, means for presenting 7 names to view through theopening, a diskoperatively connected with said means, means for turningthe disk, stops mounted upon the disk and located at varying distancesfrom the center thereof, said stops being located"v upon different radiiof the disks, pins. lo-

cated adjacent the disks and movable into the paths of movement of thestops and key operated means for actuating the pins.

4:. A directory comprising a casing provided with an opening, means forpresenting names to View through the opening, means for actuating thesaid name presenting ALrHoNso T. LEWIS.

WVitnesses:

WVALLACE A. PAYNE, HY PARRENT.

Washington, D. G.

